Vandals wreak havoc on Bahrain roads

Manama, December 12, 2012

Vandals set tyres on fire across Bahrain yesterday - days after opposition groups launched an anti-violence campaign, said a report.

They wreaked havoc in at least seven trouble areas, according to the report in our sister publication the Gulf Daily News (GDN).

Video footage of the Budaiya Highway being cut off by rioters who lined up tyres, poured petrol and set them ablaze was uploaded online.

The Interior Ministry confirmed the incidents.

"There were acts of vandalism across most of the main roads this morning," said an Interior Ministry official.

"Most of the major roads were hit, including Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway, near Adhari, Shaikh Jaber Al Subah Road in Sitra and Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway. Most of the roads were hit at approximately the same time."

Police were on the scene to restore traffic flow.

"There was also a number of strange objects that were removed," added the official. "They turned out to be fake (explosive devices) and traffic returned to normal."

The GDN reported yesterday (December 11) that Al Wefaq National Islamic Society claims it has dropped preconditions for holding talks with the government and that it was ready to enter a dialogue "as early as today".

It also said that it signed a nonviolence declaration - with other opposition groups - which says violence should never be used to pursue legitimate demands, nor block legitimate demands of others.

The declaration calls for a commitment to nonviolence, tolerance, full respect to human rights, basic rights for all, democracy, development, diversity and respect. It states its signatories believe in dignity, freedom, justice, equality, diversity, plurality and participation in a modern democratic state. – TradeArabia News Service